Defining sarcopenia: the impact of different diagnostic criteria on the prevalence of sarcopenia in a large middle aged cohort
Open Access
- 8 February 2012
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in AGE
- Vol. 35 (3), 871-881
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-012-9384-z
Abstract
Sarcopenia, low muscle mass, is an increasing problem in our ageing society. The prevalence of sarcopenia varies extremely between elderly cohorts ranging from 7% to over 50%. Without consensus on the definition of sarcopenia, a variety of diagnostic criteria are being used. We assessed the degree of agreement between seven different diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia based on muscle mass and handgrip strength, described in literature. In this cross-sectional study, we included men (n = 325) and women (n = 329) with complete measurements of handgrip strength and body composition values as measured by bioimpedance analysis within the Leiden Longevity Study. Prevalence of sarcopenia was stratified by gender and age. In men (mean age 64.5 years), the prevalence of sarcopenia with the different diagnostic criteria ranged from 0% to 20.8% in the lowest age category (below 60 years), from 0% to 31.2% in the middle (60 to 69 years) and from 0% to 45.2% in the highest age category (above 70 years). In women (mean age 61.8 years), the prevalence of sarcopenia ranged from 0% to 15.6%, 0% to 21.8% and 0% to 25.8% in the lowest, middle and highest age category, respectively. Only one participant (0.2%) was identified having sarcopenia according to all diagnostic criteria that marked prevalence above 0%. We conclude that the prevalence of sarcopenia is highly dependent on the applied diagnostic criteria. It is necessary to reach a consensus on the definition of sarcopenia in order to make studies comparable and for implementation in clinical care.Keywords
This publication has 52 references indexed in Scilit:
- Temporal relationship between handgrip strength and cognitive performance in oldest old peopleAge and Ageing, 2012
- Handgrip strength at midlife and familial longevityAGE, 2011
- Sarcopenia: An Undiagnosed Condition in Older Adults. Current Consensus Definition: Prevalence, Etiology, and Consequences. International Working Group on SarcopeniaJournal of the American Medical Directors Association, 2011
- Hypertension, White Matter Hyperintensities, and Concurrent Impairments in Mobility, Cognition, and MoodCirculation, 2011
- Glucose and Insulin Measurements From the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test and Relationship to Muscle MassThe Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 2011
- Objectively measured physical capability levels and mortality: systematic review and meta-analysisBMJ, 2010
- Sarcopenia and Mortality after Liver TransplantationJournal of the American College of Surgeons, 2010
- Sarcopenia: European consensus on definition and diagnosisAge and Ageing, 2010
- Reduced Lean Mass in Early Alzheimer Disease and Its Association With Brain AtrophyArchives of Neurology, 2010
- Handgrip strength as a predictor of functional, psychological and social health. A prospective population-based study among the oldest oldAge and Ageing, 2010